A five toed dragon cost you your head.

Dragons are creatures that are considered mythical, until you run into one. It is contrived that as the Chinese dragon walked South it began to lose toes; hence Chinese Dragons have 5 toes, Korean dragons 4 toes and Japanese dragons 3 toes. Also, as the Dragon migrates north, it gains toes.

In the old days it was usual to make offerings to dragons at lakes and rivers. Poorer people appealed to the dragon's appetites and offered various foods, including lotus flowers and roasted swallows, of which dragons are said to be inordinately fond. So much so that people were warned against venturing out on the waves after eating roasted swallows because the dragon might smell it, come to the surface for its snack and then grow angry at having been cheated.

Most dragons in Chinese art are shown with four toes and only the Emperor was entitled to five on his insignia. Anyone else who presumed to display a five-toed dragon without authorization met with swift retribution. As a result anyone carrying a travel warrant sealed with the Emperor's five-toed dragon could travel safely from one end of the country to the other and expect hospitality all the way.

In the old days you could lose your head for the unauthorized use of a five toed dragon. As a kid, I believed you went to hell, or spent a long time in hotel Purgatory, if you ate meat on Friday.

While working in my garden this morning, my garden neighbor offered an interesting premise on the fish on Friday tradition. It was Sunday, but neither of us had been to church.

He speculated that fishermen were worried about the economic impact of reduced activity as the faithful observed the Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath is a weekly day of rest observed from sundown on Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night. A lot of fish would spoil on the docks unless fish was brought into the religious observance.

There is no law, nor do I know of any law in the past, that Catholics must eat fish on Friday or anytime. Over the centuries custom had dictated that Catholics abstain from meat (the flesh of warm-blooded animals) on certain days (chiefly Friday). As a kid I was terrified of eating meat on Friday. My uncle, who was a missionary priest, cured me of that fear. It was a Friday. He was visiting his brothers while on a short leave from his post in South America. The coals were hot and he was throwing some hot dogs on the grill. I hesitantly asked him how we could eat the meat. This was well before the introduction of tofu dogs. His answer was that God had much more important things to worry about than three brothers celebrating a family reunion on a hot summer day.

You may also enjoy reading: Don't wait for the muse. She has a lousy work ethic.

Also, may I recommend for your enjoyment: Man Of Steel. Man in tights. Roaming the planet, looking for fights.

The Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in the comic book Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966), the first of a three-issue arc fans and historians call "The Galactus Trilogy".

Originally a young astronomer of the planet Zenn-La, in order to save his home-world from destruction by a fearsome cosmic entity known as Galactus, Norrin Radd made a bargain with the being, pledging himself to serve as his herald. Imbued in return with a tiny portion of Galactus' Power Cosmic, Radd acquired great powers and a silvery appearance. Galactus also created for Radd a surfboard-like craft — modeled after a childhood fantasy of his — on which he would travel at speeds beyond that of light. Known from then on as the Silver Surfer, Radd began to roam the cosmos searching for new planets for Galactus to consume. When his travels finally took him to Earth, the Surfer came face-to-face with the Fantastic Four, a team of powerful superheroes that helped him to rediscover his nobility of spirit. Betraying Galactus, the Surfer saved Earth but was punished in return with everlasting exile there.

Stan Lee enjoyed the character and decided to feature him in his own individual title in 1968. John Buscema was penciller for the first 17 issues of the series, with Kirby returning for the eighteenth and final issue. The first seven issues, which included anthological "Tales of the Watcher" backup stories, were 72-page (with advertising), 25-cent "giants", as opposed to typical 36-page, 12-cent comics of the time. Thematically, the stories dealt with the Surfer's exile on Earth and the inhumanity of man as observed by this noble yet fallen hero. The Silver Surfer comic book series became known as one of Lee's most thoughtful and introspective works. Englehart writes that Buscema and Lee were "pouring their souls into the series".

Waldo County, situated in mid-coast Maine along scenic Penobscot Bay, has genuine New England character evidenced by working port towns and quaint rural villages. Visitors are awed by the area's unspoiled beauty. From striking coastal views to sweeping mountain vistas, dramatic natural settings abound. In addition great care has been taken to preserve and refurbish numerous historic landmarks, homes and buildings. Consequently, the Maine of yesteryear is still found here.

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